ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (FilmFest Ghent 2014)

After more than 400 screenings, Saturday 25th October was the day to say farewell to the 41st edition of FilmFest Ghent. It’s a classic tradition to open and end a film feast with a movie that matters. You can, just like the president of the jury Bret Easton Ellis have your opinion about the opener (The Loft by Erik Van Looy), the final one however was a blast (and even more than that!) The edition of 2013 saw its final with Behind The Candelabraby Steven Soderbergh, but this year’s film marathon was closed with the opener from the Film festival from Venice that blew everyone away: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) by the Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu.

This director who previously gave cinema another vision with Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful used all possibilities to deliver a cinematographic masterpiece that’ll be forever carved in the memory of cinema. A sledgehammer that is destined to become the movie of the year, even if the competition is extremely high.

This is the sad tale from Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton): an actor who was once included on Hollywood’s A-list for his performance as superhero Birdman, but who is now struggling to find an audience for his Broadway-play by Raymond Carver. The movie starts as a comedy (or even better a satire on Hollywood that’s been paralyzed by its adoration for superheroes), but ends as a surrealistic tragedy. It’s kind of weird to notice that it is actually Michael Keaton who is doing this great job, as after all once upon a time the world was at his feet when he was Batman, while he’s now more of a neglected actor. His performance is majestic, while Edward Norton shows one more time that he still is an actor you better not forget.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is an insane film ride: the salt in the wound that’s been caused by today’s society. Sublime, extra-ordinary, never seen before, unique and all other superlatives fit to describe this masterpiece. You rarely have seen this year a laughter (or even more cry a tear) so splendid as in this one.